This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in the packaging of bottled beverages, or other articles having a bottle-like configuration, wherein the package is formed by folding a blank of paperboard or similar sheet material into a tube formation and securing the same on the top portions of a group of the articles which are arranged in double row formation with cap skirts or other downwardly facing abutment forming means adjacent the top which abutment forming means may be utilized to engage upwardly facing edge portions of wall formations of the tube formation so that the tube formation may be grasped and the weight of the articles carried by the wall formations.
In the packaging of bottled products, such as beer and other beverages, particularly, consumer packages of multiple units arranged in double row relation, carriers formed of foldable sheet material, such as paperboard, have been provided, heretofore, in which the bottles are supported by engaging skirt portions of the bottle closure caps, or a projected annular bead adjacent the mouth of each bottle, with upwardly facing edge portions of oppositely disposed sidewall elements of the carrier device. This type package has the advantage of economy in the use of materials and storage space, and generally, in ease of application to the bottle group. However, this type of carrier has not heretofore been fully acceptable for double row bottle assemblies, for a number of reasons. One difficulty encountered has been an inability to provide a satisfactory design which will hold the bottles with sufficient rigidity to prevent damaging contact between the bottles when carried and which is sufficiently rugged and durable for group packaging of different size bottles, some of which may be quite heavy when filled with the liquid product. Consequently, there has been a need for an improved packaging arrangement of this type which is more rugged and more dependable than heretofore provided, which can be produced with maximum economy in the use of materials and which lends itself to relatively simple machine application.
It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved bottle carrier of the top gripping type which may be formed from a single sheet of foldable paperboard, or similar material, with maximum economy of materials and with provision for securely gripping the bottles at the top thereof and for holding them in vertical position with their vertical axes in generally parallel relation and with minimum risk of damage due to contact of body portions below the bottle necks.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle carrying package assembly wherein a top gripping and carrying device is formed from sheet material folded into a tube of substantially rectangular cross section with a bottom forming wall panel having spaced apertures of a size to snugly engage around the bottle necks at a substantial distance below the tops of the bottles and with pairs of upwardly converging wall panels which have spaced apertures at their top edges in vertical alignment with the apertures in the bottom wall forming panel, which converging wall apertures are defined in part by upwardly facing edge formations positioned to engage beneath oppositely disposed portions of an annular cap skirt formation, or like abutment forming means, disposed adjacent the tops of the bottles.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle top gripping and carrying device of the type described wherein pairs of upwardly converging wall panels having the cap engaging edge formations are connected in spaced relation at the base thereof by a multiple thickness of the panel material which is disposed in the plane of the bottom wall panel, which is spaced a substantial distance below the cap engaging edge formations and which is secured in double panel relation so as to rigidify the carrier.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved article packaging arrangement wherein articles having the general form of bottles are adapted to be packaged by attaching thereto a top gripping carrier device which is formed from a cut and scored blank of foldable sheet material and which may be initially formed in folded condition enabling it to be set up into a tube of generally rectangular cross section and having a bottom wall panel with bottle neck receiving apertures and upstanding relatively narrow wall panels with bottle cap gripping apertures at the top of upwardly converging pairs thereof, and the bottom edges of the outermost wall panels being hinged to the outside edges of the bottom wall while the innermost panels are hinged to the top edges of the outermost panels and connected to a top wall panel which lies on the intervening portion of the bottom wall panel.
A further object of the invention is to provide a packaging and carrying device for a group of bottles which are arranged in double row and transversely paired relation, wherein the device is formed from a blank of paperboard, or similar sheet material, which is cut and scored so that its ends may be connected to form a collapsed tube of rectangular cross sectional configuration when opened up and applied to the top portions of the bottles with the axis thereof extending in the direction of the rows of bottles, the tube comprising a bottom wall forming panel, with a double row of apertures which are spaced in the rows and dimensioned to seat on neck portions of the bottles and a pair of axially extending, upwardly converging wall panels which are upstanding in vertical planes extending along opposite lateral edges of the apertures in each row thereof, which wall panels are hingedly connected at their top edges and have axially spaced apertures at the hinge line in vertical alignment with the apertures in the bottom wall panel and which include edge formations configured so as to engage beneath downwardly facing skirt edges on the bottle caps, the outermost wall panel of each pair thereof being hinged at the bottom edge to the outermost edge of the bottom wall forming panel and the associated innermost panel being hinged to a top wall forming panel which bridges the space between the pairs of vertical panels and lies on the top face of the central portion of the bottom wall forming panel, with the top and bottom wall panels being cut and scored so as to buckle in accordian fashion inwardly in the axial direction when applied to the bottles thereby to afford greater rigidity to the carrier.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a packaging and carrying device of the cap gripping type described wherein top and bottom wall forming panels are tied together by hinged tabs cut in the top wall panel and turned in locking relation into cooperating apertures in the bottom wall forming panel.
To this end, the invention as claimed herein is embodied in a carrier device for articles having a bottle configuration, which device is formed from paperboard, or other foldable sheet or web material, cut and scored so as to enable it to be formed into a tube of generally rectangular cross section with a bottom forming wall apertured to engage over the neck forming portions of the articles and with upstanding walls in paired, upwardly converging relation which are apertured at the top fold line so as to provide edge formations which engage in gripping and supporting relation beneath downwardly facing portions of cap skirts or other abutment formations adjacent the top of the articles.
The aforesaid objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which are set forth therein, by way of example, and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout.